TDM 002

[erkumods]

TDM 002: IF FOUND PLEASE RETURN TO

( 1 ) Around mid-morning, a message from the Augur appears on bracelets all across the city. "New organisms discovered. Domestication in progress." The wark of a chocobo rises up from the outskirts of the city. Several more join in, forming a charming chorus. And, strangely, this is when new arrivals begin to show up. Beamed in one at a time, scanned en masse, they are processed just as the first wave was. There's one major difference: whereas the old guard was given their bracelets and ushered into the City, the new folks are also given... collars. Buckled, snapped, or otherwise fastened around their necks, a variety of colorful collars with some rather unusual novelty pet tags. (These are just a few suggestions. The typical “If found, please return to ____” is also very much acceptable.) "You are new organisms. Domestication in progress. Compatible Eros energy will complete domestication." No matter how hard they try, characters cannot take the collars off by themselves. They need a partner's help - but not just anyone will do. It very well might be the first person they find, or it might take several tries. The robots grow bolder as the day grows on, targeting characters who aren't new, as well. "Y̶o̶u̴ ̸a̷r̸e̷ ̵o̵r̵g̶a̴n̷i̷s̶m̸s̶.̶ ̶D̷o̶m̴e̴s̶t̶i̶c̵a̸t̶i̸o̴n̸ ̷i̵n̸ ̴p̸r̶o̵g̷r̵e̷s̵s̷." Their antics die down by nightfall, but for the next day or two, the occasional malfunctioning 'bot may accost someone in the street, so stay on your toes! ( 2 ) An abandoned racetrack lights up the night. That's right: place your bets, folks, because these birds are about to run around a track while robots sell synthetic, overpriced aphro-popcorn. ...Did you say priced? That’s right! If you participated in the orgy earlier this month, you'll find you have a stash of credits accessible in your app. You've fucked money back into the world, so why not waste it? (Opportunities to earn credits will come up periodically and won't always be sexual in nature, so don't worry if your character wouldn't have any yet.) And if you don't have credits to bet with, why not get creative? ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● N A V I G A T I O N

Comments

reno | ffvii

[aeroll]

COLLARS.

[ what the living fuck is this hellhole?

after destroying some of the increasingly annoying robots, reno spent several minutes trying to pull the collar off of his neck before finally giving up. this is all so fucking stupid. did he actually listen to what they were yammering on about when he arrived? no. no, he fucking did not. he was in the middle of something! (it's classified, so he won't go into details on it. just know that it was super important and mind your own business.)

inspecting himself in a storefront window, he makes a face at the letters on the pink collar around his neck. what does that say? ]

'In my defense, I was left unsupervised'... [ he was the supervision, assholes. turning the tag around, he tries to squint at a smaller inscription on it, but he can't seem to make out what it says. oh fucking well. he's had worse things wrapped around his neck before. what's one dumb pet collar? ] Fuuuuuck me.

[ he needs to go find something sharp like scissors. ]

Hey, you! [ please do mind him yanking any random passersby by their arms to stop them. ] Got a knife on ya? Scissors? Pliers? A fucking wrench? I gotta get this piece of shit [ he points at the collar. ] off of me.

CHOCOBOS.

[ aw, lookit these yellow feathery cuties. guess this island isn't a complete fuckfest if it has chocobos on it. maybe he can adopt one. name it after the boss. ]

C'mere, little guy. [ he is crouched down on the floor, coaxing one of the smaller birds over. ] I won't harm ya. [ he tugs at the collar around his neck. ] Between you and me, I'm the one who's been restrained, so if a lead shows up, it's likelier to go on me than you.

[ is this redheaded weirdo having a full blown conversation with a baby chocobo? yes. yes, he is. if someone has a problem with it, then they can kindly fuck off. ]

NETWORK. | un: FU

this is one big elaborate prank ain't it?
i've been given a lot of to dos in my life but i've never had an actual to DO list
what is this one on here?

hold on

WRITING
how am i supposed to write if i don't even have a FUCKIN PEN
anyway, i'm at the races rn
who wants to lend a guy some credits? i want popcorn

WILDCARD.

[ hit me up with whatever! i'll roll with it. permissions and kinks listed here. pm for discussion! ✌️ ]

you know which one

[photog]

[he's.

relatively surprised that someone who looks like such a thug a) knows what a chocobo is and b) is tenderly relating to it just like he would. he can surmise by the glam-band hair that he's rocking, that he probably comes from the same parallel world that Cloud, the hot goth uncle and the cool guy obsessed with morning trainings at the beach do. which, okay, he's gotten along with all of them pretty well, why not try to... uhm. make friends?]

Crouching is kinda like a predatory stance for these guys. If you sit down, they're more likely to come to you.

[he offers some sage advice to the redhead, and if he doesn't trust it, he'll just have to show him.]

[aeroll]

[ well, prompto isn't wrong. reno does hail from the great planet of gaia. in fact, his home is so great that he already misses it a ton, especially since tseng is gonna have his ass for disappearing mid-mission. pick a better time for interdimensional kidnapping, erku!

glancing over at the blond, his brows raise slightly at the umprompted advice before he drops down on the floor unceremoniously. tucking one leg in, he rests his right arm on top of bent knee as he looks up at the younger man. ]

Like this? [ he really wants to pet a baby chocobo, ok? don't fucking @ him. ]

[photog]

[when in Rome, after all.

Prompto neatly sits down next to Reno, criss-cross-apple-sauce the way he was taught to do in kindergarten, and watches him try to encourage the little fella to come grace Reno with its warm and nuzzling countenance. it's really, really hard not to absolutely love the shit out of baby chocobos.

to think, in just a few months time, it'll be a wily teenager, buck wild and ready to lay waste to the desert outside of town. even that sets a warmth through Prompto's three-sizes-too-big heart.]

You got it. [he looks over Reno contemplatively.] I'm Prompto, by the way. Just leave your hand out, nice and still. You wanna show the chocobo that it's okay to be curious, but you don't want to make flashy, sudden hand movements to scare it off.

These guys have a lot of anxiety when they're this small, y'know?

[mood.]

[aeroll]

[ when it comes down to learning new things (particularly about animals), reno is all willing and attentive focus. he kinda loves them. a lot. he splays open his hand as instructed, his eyes keen on the tiny creature in front of them. ]

The name's Reno. [ offering him his gloved right hand for a shake, he glances over at the blond curiously. ]

You know a lot about chocobos, don'tcha? [ a beat. ] Are you in the trade?

un: mako

[smoulder]

It probably isn't a good idea. The food here has been laced with aphrodisiacs before.

[aeroll]

[ well,

shit. ]

then what are we supposed to eat?

i'm hungry

[smoulder]

I've heard accounts of food that hasn't been tampered with showing up for people who've [ ah ] fulfilled parts of their card...
But there's no real way of knowing until you test the food out yourself.

I guess if you were able to get your hands on some credits to buy the popcorn, you could always find yourself a private place to eat it...

[aeroll]

[ sigh

this world really does revolve around sex, doesn't it? ]

is that the key here then?
we fuck and we get to eat food that hasn't been fuckin dosed

hey, you got any credits on ya?

pink is a good color on you

[vanguarda]

[zack watches in amusement as the redhead's efforts to get someone to help them results in a futility. it's amusing because it's a turk, and zack had not expected a turk to show up in this place—of all imaginable people. he watches as the individual that nearly got roped into helping walks off, leaving reno (that was his name, right?) back to scouting for help.]

[well, he might as well.]

[SOLDIER 1st class, er— zack, coming to the rescue! a nonchalant attitude despite his excitement to see someone from gaia here. on what terms will reno greet him? well, he'll see. nothing he can't take on.]

Hey! Will a sword do?

don't sugar him up with sweet words

[aeroll]

[ he can't believe no one here has a single knife or switchblade on them. his growing frustration with his current predicament makes him seem more desperate than he actually is, so maybe he grabs a couple of folks a little too hard and he isn't getting the most well-received reactions.

but whatever. screw them! they're not the one with a fucking collar on them.

shoulders falling almost dejectedly, he is about to try his luck with someone else when he hears a voice coming from behind him. did someone mention a sword? his enthusiasm is short-lived though because the moment he turns around, he freezes in his spot — at least for a few seconds.

what. ] —the fuck? [ that's... what's his fucking name again? zachary fair or some shit. ] Hey, you're the dead First Class, ain'tcha? [ he leans forward with a curious smile. ] Fuck me, [ he reaches out to prod at his chest. ] you're not so dead after all. [ slowly rounding him with his hands now clasped behind his back, he inspects the taller man reminiscent of a predator stalking its prey. ] You even come equipped with a blade. That's so great.

[ stopping back in front of him, he gestures at the band around his neck. ] Go ahead, SOLDIER boy. Cut me loose. [ a beat. ] Or at least that's what I'd say if I had any clue where we stand. I want this sucker off of me. Not get my fucking throat slit by a vengeful zombie.

[vanguarda]

[he expected as much, really. he didn't interact much with the turks outside of tseng, but he had seen enough of reno to know that he had something of a mouthy attitude trucking along with him. the loudmouth reno and the quiet rude, there was locker room talk about the shadier side of the company.]

[for zack's part, his smile doesn't falter, even with the observation that he's dead.]

Yup, that'd be me.

[he follows reno with his eyes as the redhead trails around him and keeps making observations, raising an eyebrow at the last statement. full-on equipped paranoia is the turk way to go, after all. no wonder they think SOLDIER aren't all that smart—they're not really known for their brains as much as shinra's secret service, so to speak.]

Were you the one who shot me dead? [a tilt of his head] You don't have anythin' to worry about, otherwise.

[reaching forward, zack catches the tag between thumb and forefinger, mumbling the by-now familiar in my defense, i was left unsupervised... and then chuckling at what's on the back, letting go of it.]

No Shinra here to return to. [hands raised to show that he means no harm, zack continues] So, far as I'm concerned, we're good.

[aeroll]

[ can't ever be too careful, especially with the First Class assholes. most of them are off their fucking rockers and reno, for one, values his life. that being said, zachary doesn't look like he wants to kill him, so maybe he's telling the truth — or he's waiting for him to let his guard down.

not gonna happen, buddy. ] You got the wound to show for it? [ sensitive as fucking ever. ] Did it heal up here?

[ how are these fuckers managing to revive the dead?

in any case, he stops in his tracks when zack reaches for the dog tag to inspect. aside from looking a little peeved, reno lets him take all the time he needs. his brow does arch when shinra is brought up. ] Is that what it says? [ he didn't manage to get a good look at the back. well, whatever. ]

Alright. If we're good, then you don't mind lending me your sword, yo. [ he holds open his gloved hand, watching him with an unreadable smile. ]

u kno 👀 (also sorry)

[noncertus]

Yeah.

[No way could that be anyone else but that Turk. That red hair, that voice, a few brutal altercations and the devastation that literally rained down on the slums has etched Reno firmly into this so-called ex-SOLDIER's admittedly unreliable memory. Cloud may not be who Reno had accosted for help with his collar... he's the guy answering anyway.

With a metallic scrape, he pulls the Buster Sword from his back and hoists it to his shoulder.]

I can get that off.

[Plus a little something extra.]

👀

[aeroll]

[ the sound of a sword being drawn is enough to make reno let go of his latest victim, turning around to — surprise, surprise — come face-to-face with that fucking merc. just his freakin' luck, of course SOLDIER boy would be here too. ]

Wasn't askin' for your help, asshole. [ his electro-mag rod is within his hand in seconds. with a flick of his wrist, he snaps it open to its fullest length, a cocky grin settling onto his face. ] Guess you made it out alive. Can't say I'm not disappointed.

[noncertus]

I'm just doing my civic duty.

[Cloud remembers what a pain in the ass that electro-mag rod and its agile wielder can be, and he's still more than a little sore about what happened to the slums. ]

Taking out the trash.

[He brings the Buster Sword down from his shoulder, the grip held low to his center of gravity, the blade one great diagonal plane pointed edge-first ahead of him. Oh yeah, this is personal.]

[vampirella]

No shit. Pink and red? What were they thinking?

( he does need to get it off, pronto. it looks terrible. though, whether or not she seems particularly inclined to help him is a completely different story. while maybe he's not wrong to assume she's the sort of girl to wander around with a sharp object hidden on her person, she makes no move to provide one. she shakes off his grip with a mild look of annoyance, before replying, )

I left my fancy golden sword at home. Sorry, Red. ( is she joking? is she serious? as usual, it's impossible to tell. either way, she's not coughing up a sharp to cut him free of that unfortunate collar of his. )

[aeroll]

Yea! [ he doesn't seem to notice her annoyance — or, rather, he just doesn't seem to give a shit. ] They could have gone with black, gray or even red. Not this fucking pink shade. [ he can't help tugging at the neckband. it's really uncomfortable. ]

Then let's go to your home, Brown. If you can get this off, I'll owe ya one. What do you say?

[vampirella]

( yeah, she's sure glad she's not wearing that! looks like a real pain in the ass. she likes an occasional choker, but a collar is a little too s&m for her liking. she shudders to think what cheesy bullshit they'd put on hers, she doesn't have any interest in finding out.

to be honest, she doesn't have any interest in helping this guy, either, though the promise of payment is far more tempting than the idea of doing it from her pitch black little heart. )

Oh yeah? You'd trust a girl off the street to stick a fancy sword between you and that monstrosity? ( Carmilla ticks at the tag with a dark tipped nail as a punctuation to her inquiry. ) Owe me what, is the question. Do you even have something I'd remotely want?

network, un: lottieperson

[oomfies]

okay FINALLY! somebody said it
how does anybody expect me to write something w/o a pen
also what do they want me to do?
like.. write a poem???

[aeroll]

i think the only makeshift writing tool we have at our disposal are chocobo feathers
but i'm not about to go pluckin one just to write on somebody

[...]

ig you could write a poem
whatever floats your boat

[oomfies]

[ Oh. She is definitely stealing that idea. In fact.. ]

wanna make a trade?

i couldn't help myself

[flamebond]

[ Axel, grabbed, half staggers before he turns to face the one doing the yanking. He's opening his mouth to clap back with something especially smart when he gets a good look at — ]

Huh?

[ The counter dies on his mouth, replaced entirely by something between shock and awe. This guy... it's almost like looking into a mirror. Or what was it that Merlin had told him? Something about alternate timelines? Honestly it had all been so complicated that he'd checked out about halfway through the explanation and only picked up on the important bits about messing with time. ]

Wow. That is so weird.

[ Right down to the green eyes. He even has tattoos on his face! Which Axel doesn't have anymore, and they were different shapes but — still! He's actually so distracted that for the first few heartbeats where his wrist stays caught in this uncanny stranger's hand, Axel doesn't even notice the pink collar. Honestly he's almost thinking they might just be the style of this world or something. He's got one, too, though he hasn't discovered the inscription on it yet. ]

aaaa

[aeroll]

[ y'know the last thing he would've thought he'd encounter on this whackjob of a planet is a lookalike, but here one is gawking at him like a total asshole. don't get him wrong, surprise registers on his face too — at least for a split second through the slight widening of his eyes, but it's very quickly overtaken by a frown. ]

What the fuck. [ no, it ain't even a question. that's just how fucking incredulous he is right now. ] You've gotta be shittin' me, yo. [ he was looking for help to get this stupid collar off of him; not run into a porcupine-looking motherfucker who could pass as his long lost brother. ] Are you even real?

[ he is leaning forward to stare at him intently, his left hand lifting to rudely pull at his cheek. ]

Feels real enough. [ well, whatever. he drops his gaze down to the collar around his neck. ] Hey, [ seriously??? ] why do you get a black one?

thanks nomura

[flamebond]

[ If Axel were literally any other person, this kind of manhandling might be met with aggression. Unfortunately, Axel is well acquainted with people who have very little concept of personal space, so instead he offers a cottony-sounding: ] Ow? [ And tugs his wrist out of that hand to bat the offending fingers away.

It gives him the space to take a half a step back, put a little distance between them to give him a good once over.

Well, maybe that's where the similarities end. This guy looks sharp in that suit, and Axel's style is a lot more casual — though right now, it's covered entirely by his long leather jacket. Only then does he spot the pink collar, and with nothing else of note he assumes that's what that latter statement is about. He raises his hand, gesturing with his palm at all of him. ]

What's wrong with pink?

[ He puts both hands on his hips and leans forward, just a little. ]

Not feeling emasculated are you?